Even after national scrutiny, dog fighting still prevalent in Virginia

As the world accepts Michael Vick as a reformed criminal returning to the working world, the acts that he sanctioned, the animals that he murdered, and the pain that he inflicted are believed to be distant memories, buried far in the past. But as Virginia court documents confirm, dog fighting continues to prevail in popularity, bringing many local dogs to a painful death.

According to animal advocacy group Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare, this week alone finds four separate Virginia dog fighting court dates. David Robinson of Henrico County faces misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and animal fighting when a neighbor called the police after hearing the chaos of animals fighting at Mr. Robinson's home. In Hampton County, Tyrik Cain is scheduled to stand trial for a felony dog fighting charge and misdemeanor animal cruelty charge after two dead pitbulls were discovered in a dumpster, leading police to uncover a major dog fighting ring.

Ardeller Morris and Richard Robinson became a deplorable team of dog fighting champions with their high-stakes dog fighting ring in Richmond, VA. The pair faces a plethora of felony and misdemeanor charges after eleven dogs were seized from their shared home. Robinson was convicted of dog fighting in Richmond in 2005 and received a sentence of 5 years with three of those years suspended. Records show Mr. Robinson was also arrested in North Carolina, along with several others from Virginia, in 2008 for dog fighting. Neighbors of Mr. Robinson and his mother knew of the dogs because of their barking, and because some of the dogs roamed the neighborhood, but claim they did not realize there was a dog fighting operation going on.

So why, even after all this scrutiny over the horrific act of dog fighting, is there still such a concentrated interest in keeping the so-called sport alive? According to the ASPCA, “There are many reasons people are attracted to dog fighting. The most basic is greed. Major dog fight raids have resulted in seizures of more than $500,000, and it is not unusual for $20,000 - $30,000 to change hands in a single fight. Stud fees and the sale of pups from promising bloodlines can also bring in thousands of dollars. For others, the attraction lies in using the animals as an extension of themselves to fight their battles for them and demonstrate their strength and prowess. However, when a dog loses, this can cause the owner of the dog to lose not only money, but status, and may lead to brutal actions against the dog. For others, the appeal simply seems to come from the sadistic enjoyment of a brutal spectacle.”

As the court cases continue to pour into the Virginia court systems, one can only hope that animal control officers will crack down on the barbaric practice to eliminate the needless suffering of so many innocent animal victims.